Cherry clafoutis
Cherry clafoutis is a classic French dessert made with fresh cherries baked in a light, custard-like batter. This easy recipe is perfect for summer and makes a delicious dessert for brunch, tea time, or special occasions
Ingredients
- 2 cups (300–400g) fresh cherries, pitted (traditional versions sometimes leave pits in for more flavour)
- 3 large eggs
- ½ cup (100g) sugar
- 1 cup (250ml) milk (whole milk preferred)
- ½ cup (60g) all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- A drop of almond extract optional
- ½ tbsp Kirsch optional, cherry liqueur
- 1 pinch of salt
- Butter for greasing the dish
- Powdered sugar for serving
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 170°C. Butter a 9-inch pie dish generously.Butter
- Spread the pitted cherries evenly in the dish.2 cups (300–400g) fresh cherries, pitted (traditional versions sometimes leave pits in for more flavour)
- In a blender, add eggs, sugar, milk, flour, salt, vanilla extract, almond extract and kirsch (if using).3 large eggs, ½ cup (100g) sugar, 1 cup (250ml) milk (whole milk preferred), ½ cup (60g) all-purpose flour, 1 tsp vanilla extract, A drop of almond extract, ½ tbsp Kirsch, 1 pinch of salt
- Blend for 20–30 seconds, just until completely smooth. Don’t over-blend (too much air can make it overly puffy then collapse).
- Pour the batter over the cherries.
- Bake for 35–40 minutes, until puffed and golden at the edges and set in the centre. A toothpick inserted near the centre should come out mostly clean.
- Begin checking for doneness after 30 minutes as all oven temperatures vary.
- Cool for 10–15 minutes.
- Dust with powdered sugar before serving.Powdered sugar
Notes
How to pit cherries without a cherry pitter?
If you don’t have a cherry pitter, you can easily use the straw method instead.
Remove the cherry stem and hold the cherry firmly.
Take a sturdy metal or stainless steel reusable straw and align it with the stem hole.
Press the straw firmly through the centre of the cherry until it dislodges the pit out of the other side, making it a quick and simple way to prepare cherries for baking.
Alternatively, remove the cherry stem and hold the cherry firmly. Use a straw to poke an opening where the stem was, then flip the cherry around and use the straw to push the seed out from the other side. This is a quick and easy way to pit cherries without a cherry pitter.
Tips
- The blender makes the batter silky and lump-free—very common in modern clafoutis recipes.
- Don’t overmix the batter; a few small lumps are fine. It will puff up in the oven and deflate as it cools—this is normal.
- Traditional versions often leave the cherry pits in, as they're said to add an almond-like flavour during baking.
- Clafoutis is best served slightly warm or at room temperature.
- A dollop of lightly whipped cream is a nice accompaniment, though not traditional.
- You can substitute cherries with plums, blueberries, or pears (though then it’s technically a “flaugnarde”).